Ugghhh, it’s been a while since I looked at the home page and tonight (or this morning, as it is 1:30AM), I was working on something and happen to discover the blog all out of whack. I think I know what happened….a certain helper has been using Visual and not HTML mode while editing and working on posts. Ugggh….Wordpress. So
I apologize for our distorted look, but we will be working to return it to it’s normal state.
For those of you not familiar with the admin section of a WordPress blog, usually when we write our posts we use HTML (it’s a code with letters and gobbly gook symbols – how’s that for a technical explanation!) because the distorted look is not likely to occur as often. Working in Visual mode creates the distorted look when we cut and paste into a new post, add images there etc. And it is usually more difficult and more time consuming to fix, unfortunately.
This is not what I had planned for the weekend. Nor did I plan on having a bunch of sick children either. đ So if you don’t see our regular posts, that will be why.
We thank you for your patience as we clean up our dust around here. We look forward to your visits and comments.
Take care and have a great weekend! I was hoping to finish up some work so I could take most of next week off to do family stuff, doesn’t look like that’is going to happen. Sigh. Be thankful, be thankful……(a children’s song that I cannot remember the rest of the words to except those…so very hard to keep a thankful heart when things continue to go wrong. Ahhhh yes, I am indeed human).
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom”! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL … there’s also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS! Pearls – a tangible reminder of God’s grace to us all.
I grew up spending Christmases at my grandparentsâ quaint Victorian home, surrounded by lots of relatives, laughter and love and really good food. For a little girl growing up in a single parent home, harried working mother, no church family, and TV dinners, these extended family holidays spent at my grandparents were like a real gift from God. But as a young adult, my grandfather passed on, the old house was sold, I grew up and eventually had a small family of my own.
Still I longed for those familiar kinds of âbigâ ChristmasesâI wanted that house full of relatives and fun times to go home toâI think the âchildâ in me thought I deserved it somehow. But my grandmother had gotten older and lived in a tiny apartment, and my mother and my husbandâs parents were not comfortable hosting Christmas in their homes. For a while we went to my cousinâs, but I soon had to come to grips with reality. The days of going to Grandmaâs for the perfect Christmas were a thing of the past.
In other words, it was time for me to grow upâtime for me to start hosting our own Christmas celebrations. So biting the holiday bullet, I decided to just do it. With two very small children underfoot, I cooked my first turkey, made my first stuffing, invited some family, neighbors, and friends over, and we all crammed ourselves into our little house, balanced our plates on our knees, and had a very good time. Oh, Iâm sure the turkey was dry and the gravy lumpy, but what I remember most is that everyone seemed truly happy to be there. And I realized that I wasnât the only one longing for that sense of warmth and communityâthat longing to âgo home againââand I finally grasped that I could (with Godâs grace) help to provide that for my family and others.
So for the next three decades we continued to host Christmas in our home. I got better at decorating, cooking, giftingâŚthe works. Some years the place would be packed and crazy. A few years were thinner and quieter. But family, friends and neighbors could always count on the fact that the Carlsonâs would be âdoing something for Christmas.â It was a no-brainer.
Until this year. This year, for the first time in more than thirty years, my husband and I decided weâre going to take a pass on hosting Christmasâwe are going to the beach. At first I felt terribly guilty, and even right now Iâm a bit unsureâand wonder if Iâll end up changing my mind at the last minute. And yet, I believe itâs the right thing for us to doâfor a lot of reasons. One being that my husbandâs birthday is Christmas and he never gets to do what he wants on his birthdayâthis year will be different. But more than that, I hope that our stepping aside will encourage the younger members of our family to find and embrace some of their own traditionsâto grow up and look for opportunities to stretch themselves a bit. Because, similar to how and oyster creates a pearlâor how a young mom learns to be a hostessâwith some discomfort and distress a burnt turkeys, the end results are truly valuable.
~~~
About Melody: Melody Carlson lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Labrador Retriever. Sheâs the author of around 200 books including this yearâs Christmas novella, Christmas at Harringtonâs.Visit her website for more information, www.melodycarlson.com.
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A PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS will be given away on New Year’s Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!
12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl GirlsÂŽ. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
Congratulations to Ellen! You won this giveaway! Winner chosen by Random.org. Thanks to all who entered and to Popchips for sponsoring this great giveaway!!!
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review, thanks to Popchips.com and Happy Healthy Moms Product Review Team. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
Popchips are an all natural snack. It is a potato chip that is not fried or baked. Popchips are made with a little heat and pressure, then pop! a Popchip has been created. Popchips are seasoned with all natural ingredients, are free of any added preservatives, added colors or flavors. They come in 7 different flavors – Original, Barbeque, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Salt & Pepper, Parmesan Garlic, Cheddar and Sour Cream & Onion. Popchips have less than half the fat of fried chips, no trans fats, no cholesterol and the only flavors to have a teeny tiny bit of saturated fat is sour cream & onion and cheddar, containing .5g of saturated fat.
Popchips.com has a list of all the nutritional facts and ingredients in each bag. Full disclosure. Gotta like that.
We received a sample pack of Popchips. They were actually very yummy. They tasted like potato chips, obviously, right? Yet at the same time they were different. They crunchy to eat, were not greasy like regular potato chips.
Here is our family’s voting results on the Popchips flavors:
#1 Barbeque
#2 Cheddar
#3 Sea Salt & Pepper
#4 Original
#5 Parmesan Garlic
#6 Sour Cream & Onion
#7 Salt & Vinegar
We thought Popchips were a tasty, all natural treat and even though we all had our personal favorites we definitely like Popchips.
For the month of December, Popchips is offering Facebook Fans (old & new) an opportunity to save $1 off their next bag of Popchips! All you have to do is be a Popchips fan (âlikeâ) on facebook. This is a 30 day rolling coupon, so they have 30 days to use it after they print it, anywhere Popchips are sold in the U.S.
We’d like to encourage you to consider emailing your friends, family, influencers, etc., with the following link: http://popchi.ps/hnPjlH
to “pop” over to popchips facebook page & click the âshareâ button below the post that is there and share it on your wall.
For those of you on twitter, please feel free to retweet the following: http://twitter.com/#!/popchips/status/10377410658701312
Enter to win Popchips! One of you lucky readers the chance to win a monthâs supply of Popchips!
Mandatory Entry:Visit Popchips and tell me what flavor Popchip you would like to try.
Extra Entries (Please be sure and leave a comment and link for extra entries):
1 Entry:Like Popchips on Facebook AND comment on there wall saying “Faith and Family Reviews sent me and be sure to print off your coupon for a $1 of Popchips!
2 Entries: Follow Faith and Family Reviews on Google Friend Connect (on the our right side bar).
2 Entries: Tweet about this giveaway, but only one tweet per day please. Include your tweet url with your comment. You may write your own tweet or use this one:
Giveaway: Enter to win a months supply of Popchips! @faithfamilyrevw! http://faithandfamilyreviews.com/?p=6112 Please share! Thx!
1 Entry: for every comment you leave anywhere else on this blog, but please leave a link with your comment!
5 Entries: Tell me your favorite thing about Christmas.
Details:
This giveaway will run from December 17th-December 30th, 2010 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Popchips will ship one winner a months supply of Popchips. Winner will be contacted via email on or before January 15th and will be asked for their contact and other pertinent info. Winners will have 48 hours to send me their info at [ffr] [giveaways] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com] (without spaces and parenthesis). Please note: This giveaway is offered to US only. And the winner must use their home address if they win. Popchips will not ship to P.O. boxes.
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom”! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL … there’s also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS! Pearls – a tangible reminder of God’s grace to us all.
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The Joy of Unexpected Circumstances
by Lori Kasbeer
The Christmas season is upon us again. Starbucks is selling their Christmas blend; stores are posting their holiday hours; and moms everywhere are making a list and checking it twice, planning for a special Christmas day. It has been our familyâs tradition to spend Christmas with relatives. Last year money was tight and we were unable to travel, this is not how we had planned to spend Christmas day but circumstances were beyond our control. Realizing my three boys–who are now teenagers–will not be under our roof for much longer, I wanted to have a special Christmas with just the five of us.
Leading up to Christmas morning we all made mouth-watering, cinnamon cut-out cookies, spent time together sticking tape everywhere while trying to wrap presents, and enjoyed spending time together. We did not have much money, but were having fun making memories. When Christmas morning arrived and we sat around to open gifts my eyes welled up with overwhelming joy. This mother was trying to absorb all the activity that was going on all around her: the smiles from each of my teenage boys, the sounds of laughter, and the smell of cinnamon rolls cooking in the oven. If I could freeze a moment in time, this would be it. I donât know what the future holds for each of my boys, but that Christmas morning I wanted to soak it all in so I could recall this special day for years to come. Despite struggling financially, unexpected circumstances turned into immense joy and a lifetime of memories.
Mothers treasuring special moments is not something new. Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, was one who tried to soak in everything that first Christmas morning. Even after Christâs birth she was still trying to absorb what the angel had said to her when he delivered the news that she was going to be the mother of the coming Savior. She reflected on the time she had with her cousin Elizabeth while they were both pregnant. Along with comprehending the unusual way her son came into this world.
While very pregnant with child, Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register Mary for the census. Never did she image she would deliver her baby in a barn with a manger being the only thing to lay him down in. These were not the circumstances she had envisioned. Before she had time to catch her breath, suddenly all around her there was excitement when shepherds showed up reporting what they had seen and heard. There were angelsâa multitude of angelsâwho were singing and declaring the Savior was born and a bright star led them to her and Joseph. So much has happened in a short amount of time and Mary did not want to forget any of it. Instead she stepped back and âtreasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.â (Luke 2:19)
Mary did not exactly know what the plans were for her son, but she knew it was going to change the lives of everyone on earth. She was preparing her heart to obey God concerning her son Jesus, without the full knowledge of what was going to come while at the same time quietly reflecting and capturing this one special moment in time.
May this Christmas be filled with joy and a lifetime of memories, even if you find yourself in unexpected circumstances. Merry Christmas!
~~~
About Lori: Lori Kasbeer lives with her husband Tadd and three teenage sons in Florida. She’s a contributor for Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace and a Christian book reviewer. Please visit Loriâs Book Reviews for more info. You can also find Lori on Facebook and Twitter.
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A PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS will be given away on New Year’s Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!
12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl GirlsÂŽ. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom”! Please follow along through Christmas day as Melody Carlson, Lauraine Snelling, Rachel Hauck, Tricia Goyer, Maureen Lang, and more share their heartfelt stories of how God has touched their life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND BEST OF ALL … there’s also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS! You may enter once a day. The winner will be announced on New Year’s Day at the Pearl Girls Blog! Pearls – a tangible reminder of God’s grace to us all.
It was October of my eighteenth year of life when my Dad stepped into eternity. As a college freshman I not only had to deal with my own grief, I also was faced with the responsibility of helping my mother adjust to a new lifestyle. You see, when Dad died, she not only lost her husband of thirty years, she also lost her circle of friends. Suddenly the married couples (my Dad was the first of their group to die) didnât know what to do about Motherâso they did nothing. Her grieving process was actually extended because of the withdrawal of her friends, many with whom she and Dad had enjoyed fellowship for years.
Our plight was magnified by the reality that we did not have extended family and I was an only child. Quite frankly, the outlook for the holiday season appeared pretty dismal!
As the holidays approached our neighbors, who embraced a different faith than we, graciously invited us to share their Christmas celebration with them. The sincere invitation, their effort to fold us into their family, inclusion in the gift exchange, and intentional conversation that focused on recounting the blessings of the year as well as looking forward to the next turned what could have been a miserable day into one of joy. Of course we missed our husband and Dad but the focus on the Lordâs provision for us through the hospitality of our neighbors (Philippians 4:8-9, 19) soothed our grieving spirits.
I have a happy ending to my Motherâs loss of her circle of friends that I described at the beginning of this story! Ever the gracious southern hostess, she did not cease to extend hospitality because of the change in her marital statusâin the five years that she lived beyond Dadâs death, we entertained frequently, and eventually our guest list included widows from the group that had earlier excluded my Mother. Though her arthritic condition precluded her engaging in as much of the food preparation as she was accustomed to doing, she continued to help me hone the skills that were second nature to her.
The loving hospitality extended to us on that first lonely Christmas served as a catalyst for Mom and me to open our home throughout the yearâespecially during the holiday season! Will you consider displaying biblical compassion by including some of the âothersââsingles, widows, and the grieving in your holiday celebrations? Who, knows, you might be entertaining an angel incognito (Hebrews 13:2)!
~~~
About Pat: Dr. Patricia Ennis, author of Precious in His Sight, the Fine Art of Becoming a Godly Woman, co-author of Practicing Hospitality, the Joy of Serving Others, and contributor to Pearl Girls, Experiencing Grit, Experiencing Grace as well as professor and establishing chairperson of the Department of Home Economics at The Masterâs College. Visit Pat’s blog, Unfading Beauty for more information.
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A PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS will be given away on New Year’s Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!
12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl GirlsÂŽ. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
We really liked this lotion. It’s been really nice to use and it makes my hands really soft. It has a gentle, pleasant scent. We also really liked that it’s not greasy. That was a plus for us.
This lotion is packaged in a very convenient bottle and the lotion comes out really nicely with a quick squeeze. We received a 4 oz size bottle, so it isn’t a huge bottle but a little goes a long way.
Skin MD lotion is an eco friendly, cruelty free, vegan skin care product. It is a SPF 15 for sun protection. Skin MD is manufactured in the USA using 100% solar power, which I think is really cool. Solar power intrigues me. Their products are not tested on animals and are free of animal products.
Amazingly, Skin MD has over 93% natural ingredients and is an eco friendly product that we are pleased with, except for the price of course. However, we have come to expect most things that are good for us usually come with a higher price tag.
You may receive free samples or buy this lotion for $18 here:
Confused aren’t I? I started doing these guest posts today like a count down! Let’s blame it on lack of sleep!
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom”! Please follow along through Christmas day as Melody Carlson, Lauraine Snelling, Rachel Hauck, Tricia Goyer, Maureen Lang, and more share their heartfelt stories of how God has touched their life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND BEST OF ALL … there’s also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS! You may enter once a day. The winner will be announced on New Year’s Day at the Pearl Girls Blog! Pearls – a tangible reminder of God’s grace to us all.
Thanksgiving day in central Florida broke warm and sunny under a blue sky. The thin fall breeze beckoned me. Taking my bike out, I rode the neighborhood feeling so grateful for all my blessings.
Joy bubbled up in my spirit. Iâd been feeling it for a day, these waves of joy, but as I rode my bike and talked to God, the waves strengthened and splashed my heart the entire ride.
Iâd laugh. Then tear up. And laugh again. As one whoâs battled and won the war on anxiety and fear attacks, the onslaught of joy was welcomed, and actually sparked a new prayer in my heart. Iâve endured attacks of panic, time for attacks of joy.
The journey of joy began earlier in the year while writing a book coincidentally named, âDining with Joy.â
Sitting at my table one day, revelation hit me. âThe joy of the Lord is my strength.â Nehemiah 8:10. The more I meditated on it, the more I wanted His joy. I donât want my strength. I want His.
Not long after, I went to Nashville for a girlâs weekend. One of my friends handed me a coffee cup inscribed with âThe joy of the Lord is my strength.â
Ever just know? God is calling.
During the holiday season, I turn 50. Yep, the big 5-0. Canât stop it, I might as well embrace it.
Fifty is often associated with jubilee, a time of restoration, and healing, even release from debt and slavery. Itâs a time of returning to property, and inheritance.
A time of rest.
A time of JOY!
This past week, a friend gifted me with a beautiful Christmas ornament. Inscribed on it? You guessed it.
JOY!
To me, the world doesnât look very joyful. There are social and economic woas. But God is speaking and offering joy.
As you go into this holiday season, ask God for a pearl of joy. Like pearls, crafted through abrasion, Godâs true joy is often formed in us during difficult seasons.
Hereâs the thing, His strength isnât doled out based on our goodness, our success or failure, or the fact the holiday season is hard or sad for you. He is ready, willing and able to overcome all your weaknesses, fears and anxiety, sadness with the power of His very own joy.
His joy. Your strength.
Iâve been walking into rooms, houses, outdoors, raising my arms and shouting, âJoy!â People look at me funny, but I want to spread the joy of the Lord. To spread the very essence of His strength.
How about you? Can you find the pearl of joy in your life, in the essence of Godâs heart toward you?
Wear joy this season.
~~~
About Rachel: RITA-finalist Rachel Hauck lives in Florida with her husband, Tony. She is the author of Dining with Joy; Sweet Caroline; Love Starts with Elle; and The Sweet By and By, co-authored with Sara Evans. For more information please visit www.rachelhauck.com.
A PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS will be given away on New Year’s Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!
12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl GirlsÂŽ. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
This past weekend was the last essential oils class, which was on Healing Oils of the Bible – 12 Essentials to Great Health. The class was extremely interesting and so much information to absorb! I should have been posting about each class as we had them, but didn’t think of that until now. I loved learning more about these oils that I have heard about all my life as I listened to the scriptures being taught or read about them in the Bible myself.
Each of these oils were made by God. He made the plants that contained these oils on the third day of creation. They are there for our benefit, enjoyment and use. God is the creator of healing properties in the essential oils and Jesus is the Great Physician.
I wish I had more time to post specific information on each oil, but hope to do so in the future. As you can see from my intro, I started this post a few weeks ago and am just posting it now since the essential oils classes have been over for a while now.
I also bought the book on these 12 essential oils in hopes understanding more about them. I believe far too much knowledge has not been passed down through the generations so we have lost the knowledge people had during the time of Moses or Jesus about the healing properties of plants etc. It will be fascinating to learn these things so our children can then pass it on to their own children and so on.
Posted by html404 on December 14, 2010 in Tuesday Tip
I know it’s another Tuesday and I have neglected to get a real Health & Garden post written. I have plenty in the works its just a matter of sitting down and pounding out the thoughts. To tie you over how about this quote to mull over as you go about your day. I read this on another blog this morning:
“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”
